Guwahati, Jun 17 : The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) today demanded a White Paper from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union Government on the Bhutanese hydel project for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone.

In a statement here, the student body said that though it is for good neighbourly relations with Bhutan, it has to raise the demand for a White Paper on the Bhutanese hydel project, in view of the devastations caused by its Kurichu Hydel Project in 2004 and 2007 in five districts of the State namely – Baksa, Nalbari, Barpeta, Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon.

Though power availability is an unavoidable condition for development, Assam’s crops, land, habitats, culture and civilisation should not be allowed to be affected.

Reminding that the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime at the Centre and the present Congress-led Government in the State did not take any measure to protect the interests of the State when the floodwaters released from the Kurichu power project killed its people, devastated its crops, cultivable lands and dwelling houses, the student body said a White Paper on the above project has become imperative.

The White Paper should make it clear as to what is the generating capacity of the said Bhutanese project, whether there was any study done on the cumulative downstream impacts of the project on Assam areas, whether measures to protect the interests of Assam from the adverse impacts of the project have been taken or not, said the student body.

KMSS protest: The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) has also opposed the move of the Union Government to help the Bhutanese Government to construct a 600-MW hydel project. The BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have made a somersault on the issue of big dam projects with Prime Minister Modi laying the foundation stone of the above project and the Indian Government assuring Bhutan of funds to construct the project.